Italian, a Romance language, is the official language of Italy and one of the official languages of Switzerland, San Marino, and Vatican City. It is historically referred to as the Lingua Toscana (Tuscan language), as this region was the birthplace of modern standard Italian. Italian language has been heavily influenced by Latin, Ancient Greek, French and Arabic, and has also influenced various other languages, such as English, Maltese and Spanish, to some extent. Italian has been standardized relatively late in comparison to other Romance languages, with its codification dating back to the beginning of the 16th century, which was first set out by Pietro Bembo in his Prose della volgar lingua (1525), and later, in the same century, by Niccolò Machiavelli in his works, particularly The Prince.
Here are some famous Italian phrases and expressions:
- Ciao: Hello or Goodbye
- Buongiorno: Good morning
- Buonasera: Good afternoon
- Buonanotte: Good night
- Grazie: Thank you
- Prego: You're welcome
- Scusi: Excuse me
- Mi scusi: I apologize
- Per favore: Please
- Di niente: You're welcome
- Arrivederci: Goodbye
- A presto: See you soon
- Buone vacanze: Have a good holiday
- Buon appetito: Enjoy your meal
- Complimenti: Congratulations